Cabinet locking means



May 1, 1945 w. D. RossrrER` 2,374,398

CABINET LOCKING MEANS Filed May s, 1944 I/I/'ILLIAMUEUEMTBR Patented May 1, i1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .i

." I i `aimais' l CABINET LOCKING MEANS c william D. Rossiter, Toledo, ohio Application May 3,1944, serial No.` 534.006

11 Claims.

The primary object of the invention is the pro-i vision of a simple, eiiicient and novel door Vlock- (o1. 29e-432i) ing means, which includes a special locking ele-` ment of a frangible nature which necessitates breaking to permit opening of a door locked thereby, is easily and quickly broken for the purpose and may be replaced by a. like element when again locking the door. Such a lock isparticularly valuable for use in `connection withl cabinets for containing re extinguishers, as ready access to the interior of the cabinet is not prevented but an opening Without detection is prevented.

This prevents saboteurs or others from tampering with a fire extinguisher or other article placed in the cabinet without suchtampering being detected.

The invention is fully described in the following specication, and a prefered embodiment thereof illustrated inthe accompanying draw-` ing, in which YFigure 1 is a perspective View of a cabinet including the locking `feature embodying the ini venticn Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof taken on the line 2-2 in Fig, l; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the cabinet including the locking means, with parts broken away` and with a locking element in door locking position; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3, with the striker in element breaking position and the` element broken; Fig. 5 is an inner side elevation of the plate forming the guideway for the locking element, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vview of the cabinet showingl a modification of the invention.

`Referring to the drawingy designates a cabinet, in the present instance, suitable for holding a ire` extinguisher, and having a hinged door 2 adapted to close an opening in the cabinet through which access may be had to its interior. The door, in the present instance, is hinged at one vertical edge for horizontal swinging movement.

The door near its outer swingingv edge is provided with a passageway 5 disposed so that a lockment is broken.

ing `element 6, when disposed in its upper `end`` end of the passageway, when the door is inl closed position, registers with a recess l in the adjacent jamb or wall portion 8 of the cabinet opening,

and this recess forms a continuation and dead end for the lower end of the passageway 5. While this passageway is shown in the present embodiment as mainly located in the door, it may be otherwise located so long as its lowerend portion crosses the line or space between the door edge and jamb and thus forms registering recesses in both said parts. In the embodiment shown, the passageway 5 is formed by'a'plate l0 in cooperation with the rear side ofthe door to which it is attached, and this plate is shaped to form the rear side and edge walls of the way.

While entrance tothe upper end portion of` the passageway 5 to deposit an element 6 therein may be had in any suitable mannen'it is shown, in the present instance, as being through an entrance slot ll in the jamb 8 with the slot registering with the upper end of the passageway when the door is closed.

The locking element 6 is of brittle frangible material, such` for instance as glass, and is prei-,

`erably of disk form so that it may readily roll or pass down the passageway and be disposed' in ilat relation to the door when Vin the dead end portion of the passageway. When the element reaches the lower end portion of the passageway of which the jamb recess 'l is` a continuation, it is stopped with `a portion, preferably' substantially half, projecting into the jamb recess and the remaining portion projecting `into. the door portion of the way, as shown in Fig. 3, thus locking the door against opening until the ele. The elements 6 are provided with an identifying mark or stamp, so that other elements of a similar shape could not be used without.detection. A supply of these lelementsishould be kept by the person having charge of the cabinet in some place where only author-A ized persons can obtain them, so that when vone has been broken it can be replaced by such a person with another element having the authorized4 marking. A pivoted dog I 2 is carriedby the plate lil and projects down into the lower end portion of its passageway through the top edgewall thereof in position to engage and pre-` vent rearward movement of the element i3 frein locking position. This dog swings to permit the element to pass forward thereunder, but is prer `vented from swinging rearward beyond stop or locking position, as is apparent.

When it is desired to open the door, the lock- :ing element 6 is broken in any suitable or convenient manner. 'Ihis is shown, in the present instance, as being accomplished by forcing a striker pin I3 inward against an exposed portion of the element. This pin is carried by an arm I4 hinged to the door and adapted to project through an opening I5 therein in register with an element when in locking position. The plate I0, or rear Wall of the passageway, also has an opening or recess IB therein opposite the striking end of the pin to facilitate a breaking of a registering element when struck by the pin.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the cabinet door when in closed position may be 'l locked in such position by inserting an element 6 into the receiving opening or end portion Ii of the guide slot or passageway 5, such element then passing by gravity down the guideway into its lower end portion with a part projecting into the recess 'I of the jamb and a part projecting into the door portion of the guideway. If it is desired to release the door for opening, this may be quickly eiected by pressing inward on the striker arm I4 with sumcient force to cause its pin I3 to strike and break the registering locking element. If upon inspection the element is found to be broken, or replaced by an unauthorized element, there is a possibility that the contents of the cabinet have been tampered with, which may be definitely determined by examination.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the passageway 5 for the element 6 is shown as being disposed in the jamb portion 8 of the door opening with its lower end portion terminating in the adjacent edge of the door 2. The entrance to the passageway 5 is through a front opening II at its top.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specic construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a cabinet having an opening to its interior and a movable door for said opening, said door and a'wall of said opening having registering recesses with a passage leading thereto, of a frangible element directed to said recesses and positioned therein in connecting relation to the opening wall and door to lock the door in closed position, the door being released for opening by a breaking of said element.

2. An arrangement as called for in claim 1 wherein the breakable element isv of glass and of disk form.

3. In a cabinet having a swinging door for closing an opening therein, said door and a wall of said opening having registering recesses with a passageway leading thereto through one or the other of said door and wall, of a disk like element of frangible material introduced into said recesses through said passageway and, when inthe recesses, extending across the line between the opening wall and door edge to lock the door against opening, and being breakable from without the cabinet to permit an opening of the door.,

4. An arrangement as called for in claim 3 together with means operable to prevent backward with a passageway leading thereto through one or the other of said door and wall, of a disk like element of frangible material introduced into said recesses through said passageway and, when in the recesses, extending across the line between the .opening wall and door edge to lock the door against opening, and being breakable from withf out the cabinet to permit an opening of the door, at least one of said door and wall having a side opening in register with the element when in door locking position, and means operable through said Y' opening to strike and break a registering locking element.

6. The provision in a cabinet having an opening therein and a hinged door for closing said opening, of a passageway through one of said door and the wall of the cabinet, and having an open upper end and extending downward therefrom and terminating in a dead end portion which is partially in both said wall and door, and a disk like element of frangible material introducible into said passageway through its upper end and movable by gravity to its dead end where it spans the line between the door and wall and, until broken, locks the doorin closed position.

7. An arrangement as called for in claim 6 together with means manually movable to strike and break the locking element when in locking position to permit opening of the door.

8. An arrangement as called for in claim 6 together with means operable to prevent backward movement of the element from locking position in the passageway.

9. The provision in a cabinet having an opening therein and a hinged door for closing the opening of a downwardly extending passageway open at its upper end and terminating in a dead lower end in the opening wall when the door is closed, and a disk like member of brittle frangible material movable through said passage from its open end to its dead end and being of a size that when in the dead end it extends partly into the door portion of the passageway to lock the door in closed position and being breakable when in such position to permit an opening of the door, and means for preventing back movement of said element from its locking position in said passageway.

10. An arrangement as called for in claim 9 together with a striker element attached to one of said cabinet and door and operable to break the locking member to release the door.

11. In a cabinet having an opening forming a door jamb and Aa door movable to open and close said opening, the provision of a passageway leading to a point where it crosses from one of said jamb and adjacent door edge into the other and having an open upper end, and a frangible element introducible into the passageway through i-ts upper end and movable by gravity therethrough to said crossing point where it projects partly into both the jamb and the door to lock the latter in closed position until the element is broken.

WILLIAM D. ROSSITER. 

